Money
In Middle-earth several different currencies are in use.Cultures who do not use coins, trade in goods but often use metal bars as a substitute.In fact the first coinage was invented by the Dwarves and originally developed out of very small, elaborate shaped, metal bars and later Medals and Amulets originally given away as Tokens. Arnor and Gondor The Kingdom of Gondor and most of the former provinces of Arnor preserve the ancient Númenorean currency: *'Double-Dragon' or ducat - Gold coin of the highest Value (approx. 0,16 ounces gold) *'Mirian' = gold coin (approx.0,04 ounces gold) *'Castar' (or Canath) = Silvercoin, 1 quarter of a Mirian (approx.0,01 ounces gold) *'Tharni' or silver farthing = 1 quarter of a Castar (0,28 ouces Silver) *'silver penny' (approx. 0,07 ounces silver) *'Brass coins' (Brasslings) = 1/4 Silver Penny (approx. 1 ounce Brass) *'copper coins '(Copperlings) (approx. 0,28 ounces copper) In times of need the Lords of the Westlands also often introduced necessity money, made of Tin (often 1 ounce Tin), Lead (often 0,01 ounces Lead) or Zinc (0,12 ounces Zinc).For small bargains people also often cutted greater coins into pieces and paid with hack-silver or even hack-copper.As everywhere purity and worth of the different coins could differ significant throughout the ages. *Tin-Coins = approx. 2 Tharni *Zinc-Coins = approx. 1/2 Copperling *Lead Coins = approx. 1/16 Copperling Northmen of Rhovanion The Northrons rely mostly on simple barter trade, but some more influential northron Lords, as the Kings of Dale have also started to emit coins, mostly imitations of gondorian exemplars. Rohan The Rohirrim use gondorian currency as well as their own Penning-coin. *'Penning' = 1 silver Penny (approx. 0,07 ounces silver) Dorwinion The Dorwinrim use gondorian currency as well as their own high-value ivory-coin, the Kysûri. *'Kysûri' = 2 tharni Harad The Haradrim use their own currency of Harmîr or gold- and bronce-rings as well as Shell-money (sea-shells, often in the form of necklaces).A few of the former black númenórean Colonies and former gondorian puppet-rulers have also preserved coinage (mostly imitations of Númenórean mint).The best known Haradrim-coinage are those from Tûl Isra and Tûl Harar. Tûl Isra Coins: *1 Saris (Silver) = 10 Sort *1 Sort (Bronze) = 10 Garn *1 Garn (Copper) = 1 Copper-Penny (northern currency) Tûl Harar Coins: *1 Kesh (Gold) = 5 Ged *1 Ged (Jade) = 20 Kos *1 Kos (Silver) = 10 Sort *1 Sort (Bronze) = 10 Garn *1 Garn (copper) = 1 northern copper-Penny the dark Lands The Dark Lord has imitated númenórean coinage for a long time and emitted his own currency among his vassal-kings, but most Men of Darkness still rely on simple barter trade. Role-Playing Games 'MERP' MERP has Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper and Tin Coins.The default Values are:1 gold = 1 gold, 10 silver = 1 gold 10 bronze = 1 silver,10 copper = 1 bronze,10 tin = 1 copper. The Rohirrim use the Pening-Coin, equivalent to one Silvercoin.The Dorwinians use the Kysûri Ivory-Money, the Haradrim use Gold and Brass Rings and Shell-money, but umbarean Coins are also mentioned. 'LotRRPG' LOTR RPG has five coinage Types: copper penny, ,silver penny, silver piece, gold penny and gold piece.It uses the classic relation of value mentioned in J.R.R. Tolkien's Books: 1 Goldpiece = 4 Gold Pennies, 1 Goldpenny = 4 Silverpieces, 1 Silverpiece = 4 Silverpennies with the exception of the copperpenny which is = 100 Silverpennies. Much of the default prices mentioned in the corebook is based on research, for example a Pony in Bree costs exactly four silverpennies- the exact price mentioned in the Book the Lord of the Rings. 'LOTRO' In LOTRO there are several different types of coin, bronze, Copper, Silver, rift-iron, Gold, Platinum and Mithril.There are also different currencies mentioned, Arnorian Coins, Coins of the Hand,'' Coins of the Mark'', Dwarf-coins.Coins are also often not simple money but special Tokens and Talismans("Lucky coin", "Coin of Spirit", "Coin of Courage", "Frostbluff Coins" etc.) LOTRO uses a System in which 1 Gold has the worth of = 1,000 Silver and 1 Silver the worth = 100 Copper. TOR references *Middle Earth Coin Weights, and conversion of MERP and LOTR RPG Coins, by www.itsmetor.com *Christian Haas, the Currencies of Middle-Earth (Essay) Category:Lore Category:Artifacts